Group Set to  Fund  Environment Defenders in N’Delta

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Natural Justice, an international organisation has unveiled a programme ‘African Environment Defenders Fund (AEDF)’ to support environment, human right defenders in the Niger Delta region and Nigeria at large.

According to the group, the AEDF will help to tackle financial challenges faced by the environment activists in the field.

Mr Stephana Rahorijao, representative of Natural Justice from Madagascar, disclosed this during his online presentation at a three-day training workshop for human rights and environmental activists in the Niger Delta, held in Port Harcourt.

Natural Justice is a pan-African organisation, with membership from South Africa, Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Madagascar and Mozambique.

Rahorijao revealed that on application, a qualified activist gets about $5,000 fund from the organisation within 48 hours.

Speaking to journalists at the training,  Programme Manager for Natural Justice (Nigeria), Mr Mike Karikpo,  explained that the group collaborates with the communities to protect the environment, defend rights and financially assist when the need support arises.

Karikpo also explained that the aim of the training was to meet with activists who had for years defended the environment and the people. He disclosed some of their challenges to include attacks from communities, non-state organisations, companies, armed men, discrimination, others.

The programme manager further stated that during the training, the group revealed the support fund and how to ensure that both the environment defenders and their families will henceforth be safe and comfortable.

“Today programme is to protect rights. We know the people who are defending the environment, who have been working as environmental activists, human rights activists across Nigeria for the last 20, 30 years. Often nobody defends them, they do this work out of the passion they have for defending the environment.

“Many people here have been defending the Niger Delta environment from oil spill, gas flaring, destruction of our mangroves but nobody has really thought about them. Their health, their physical protection, the fact sometimes they are harassed and molested by government. We want to support the men and women who protect our environment because at the end of the day the environment is our first right.

“We can protect and allow them do their work with peace of mind, so that they know that if there is emergency, in 48hours they could get 5000 dollars to help them get a lawyer or move from where they are to a safer place if it becomes dangerous.”

Some participants who spoke with THISDAY at the workshop, thanked the foreign organisation for providing such opportunity for them. They stressed that with the funds they can impact positively in their areas of coverages.

An environmental management consultant, Erabanabari Kobah,  said: “I am happy to see this kind of programme where people volunteered to assist those in Africa, especially the less privileged. But as good as the programme is there are still areas that some of us feels that they need to add to areas for funding. For example is the issue of research and litigation”.

On her part, Dr Patience Osarejiji, a female activist said: “We thank God for an opportunity like this. We have heard about the funding and areas they are going to do the funding. We need funding that can help the livelihood of the women on a good business to support their families.”